Hand-operated cam switch



March 22, 1949. w, GROSSEN 2,465,086

HAND OPERATED CAM SWITCH Filed July 10, 1945 Fig.1 I

Ill- 7 Patented Mar. 22, 1949 HAND-OPERATED CAM SWITCH Walter .Grossen,Basel, Switzerland, assignor to Fr. Sauter A. G. Fabrlkelektr. Apparate,Basel, Switzerland, a Swiss iirm Application July 10, 1945, Serial No.604,177 In Switzerland May 4, 1944 Section 1, Public Law 690, August s,1946' Patent expires May 4, 1964 Claims. 1

My present invention relates to improvements when performing anyswitching operations, second to make provision for superimposing twoswitching operations (such as e. g., cutting in a motor and switchingfrom first to second speed) so as to permit of performing same by asingle hand lever, and third to afford means which permit of adjustingany speed or operative switching position alternatively after passingthrough the intermediate speeds appurtenant to the intermediatepositions or, by omitting same, directly from neutral.

I attain these and related objects by the switch shown, by way of oneembodiment relating to a selector switch for the control of athree-phase motor in suitable connection which permits of running sameat two speeds forward and reverse, in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a wiring diagram of the switch and appurtenant devices, and

Fig. 2 shows the operative interpositions which may be effected by theswitch lever.

The cams 2 for the selector contacts I as well as the special cam lactuating the auxiliary contant I, are secured to the hollow squareshaft I. The latter is actuated by the joy-stick 6 swinging in the planeof Fig. 2 at right angles thereto, and is journaled in the bearing 11.The joy-stick 8 is also mounted rockable on the pivot I! in the guide Itsecured to the shaft I.

When rocking the joy-stick 8 on the pivot I, i. e. axially to the shaftl, the rod 1 housed in the latter is axially displaced therein and rocksthe lever B. The latter is spring-loaded at l5, and controls theauxiliary contacts 9 and It. When pushing the lever B into the positionE, the contact I is made, and when pulling same out into the position A,the contact II is broken. When the joy-stick is let loose in theposition A or E, it is restored to neutral 0 through the action of thespring catch it.

The coil ll of the circuit-breaker" is connected across the holdingcontact I! in series with the auxiliary contacts in and 5, and thecut-in auxiliary contact 9 is connected in parallel with the holdingcontact l3. Contacts 9 and III are biased to closed position.

When the lever B is in the position 0 of Fig/2, the circuit-breaker I2is broken. When swinging the lever B into any of the positions V1, V2(forward) and R1, R2 (rearward), is is held by the dented disk 20. Theauxiliary cam l is so adapted as to'open the auxiliary contact 5 v henthe lever B in Fig. 2 is in the position 0 or in positions intermediateof V1 and V: or R1 and R2, and to close same in these latter orswitching positions.

When throwing the motor 14 into first or second speed, forward orreverse (Fig. 2), the coil current of the circuit-breaker control II isinterrupted every time, and the breaker I2 drops oil, 1. e. theswitching according to Fig.2 is done without current.

When starting the motor It, the lever B is first swung into the desiredposition of Fig. 2, and then rocked into engagement (position E of Fig.l) axially with the rod 1. During the swinging movement the switch l2remains broken, and only closes when the lever 6 is rocked into theposition E of Fig. 1. The lever 6 also, however, may be rocked into thelatter position while swinging, whereby the switch 12 is cut in. Inswinging the lever according to Fig. 2, the switch l2, in this lattercase, is momentarily interrupted due to the breaking of the contact 5.When switchin the motor it off, the lever 6 is rocked or pulled forward(Fig. 1), thereby breaking the contact l0 and interrupting the controlcurrent of the switch l2. When swinging the lever 6 according to Fig. 2,without simultaneously rocking or pushing it back (Fig. 1), the switch12 is opened in the neutral or intermediate positions thereof.

In order to permit of starting or cutting out the motor It also fromanother place, two push buttons 2|, 22 are provided for. When pushingthe button 2|, the holding circuit of the switch I2 is interrupted.thereby dropping off the latter and keeping it open. When pushing thebutton 22, the switch I2 is excited and remains closed.

Any other wiring scheme than the onehere illustrated may be used, ofcourse, whereby the number of rocking cams and switching positions maybe changed as desired.

A particular advantage of the switch and control device described, asidefrom the currentless switching of the selector contacts, is that anyspeed or, respectively, switching position may be alternatively seteither after having passed the intermediate speeds appurtenant to theintermediate positions or, by omitting same, directly from neutral.

What I claim is:

1. A hand operated cam switch for machine tools or the like comprising aswitch housing, a hollow shaft rotatably journaled in said housin ingand engaging said loose rod, a coil-tripped circuit-breaker seriesconnected with said selector contacts, a pair of contactors actuated bysaid spring loaded lever, said last named contactors being so connectedto said single contactor and said circuit breaker, that said circuitbreaker will be disconnected from said selector contactors and saidsingle contactor when said contactors are rocked by said lever throughactuating said loose rod, and said auxiliary cam being so shaped thatwhen said selector cams and selector contacts are not in contact at adetermined position of aforesaid lever said single contact and saidcircuit breaker will be temporarily disconnected, whereby selectivecurrent and noncurrent switchings of a motor drive for said tool ay bemade.

2. In a switch as defined in claim 1, a hand lever engaging said hollowshaft when being swung in one plane and engaging said loose rod whenrocked in one direction in a plane at right angles tothe former plane,and wherein said loose rod follows the rocking of said lever in theopposite direction under the action of said springloaded lever, the saidlever being rocked to neutra'l whenever let loose.

3. A switch of the class described and according to claim 1, in whichthe said coil-trip controlled circuit-breaker comprises a holdingcontactor, and the said pairof contactors a cut-out 4 contactor, saidholding contactor being seriesconnected to the latter, and said cut-outcontactor being actuated by the rocking movements 01' the switch lever.

4. A switch as claimed in claim 3, in which the said pair of contactorscomprise a cut-out contactor and a cut-in contactor, said singlecontactor being series-connected to the cut-out contactor and saidholding contactor oi the circuit breaker, the said single contactorbeing open when the switch is in the no-load position.

5. A switch as claimed in claim 4, and wherein a push-button 2-pointmake-and-break for the independent control of the said circuit-breakeris provided, each of said latter contacts being series-connected to theholding contactor of the circuit-breaker and parallel-connected to thecutin contactor.

WALTER GROSSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 'file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

